Labornet Japan is a network of citizens, unionists, activists, scholars and others from all walks of life to share information especially about rights and struggles in and outside of Japan. Established in 2001, the group now has more than 500 members, and the membership is growing. The English site introduces some reports shared on Labornet Japan website and other sources outside of Japan.

Monday, May 26, 2014

On May 15, 2014, there were simultaneous
global actions in thirty-five countries to demand respect for fast food workers’
rights and fair wages to them. In Japan, the action was organized mainly by the
Tokyo Young Contingent Workers' Union, and the participants walked through a
fashionable street in the Shibuya district in central Tokyo. They said, “We don’t
need to work overtime and can afford to enjoy dinner or dating with 1,500 yen
an hour”. The action got a positive reaction from people working in the
district. They told me about their hourly wages, “950 yen”, “1,100 yen” and “1,200
yen”, all of which are still low. In front of a Sukiya beef bowl shop and a
McDonald’s, the demonstrators demanded fair wages of minimum 1,500 yen an hour,
showing placards written in Japanese, English and Spanish. Many media outlets
covered the action. (M)